By Colin Kennedy Capital News Service RICHMOND –After nearly a decade of debate, some Virginia legislators are hopeful homeschooled students will soon be allowed to participate in public school sports. House Bill 63, which was proposed by Delegate Robert Bell, R-Charlottesville, progressed through the House of Delegates’ Elementary and Secondary Education subcommittee this past week […]

The World Road Cycling Championships, one of the most prestigious international competitions for bicyclists, is coming to Richmond in two years, giving a healthy boost to the city’s image and tourist industry.

“Shaka Watch” was in full effect after the VCU men’s basketball team lost against Michigan in the NCAA Tournament last weekend. Would Coach Shaka Smart leave VCU? Rumors buzzed all over the web on the possibilites of Smart’s next move.

Capital News Service reporter and sports fan Michael Schuster will be live-blogging the VCU-Butler game, which starts at noon on Saturday at VCU’s Siegel Center. The game is sold out, but you can follow the play-by-play — and submit comments — here.

Brantley Tyndall, a Richmond bicyclist since 2007, used his only form of transportation to show up in support of Bicycle Action Day at the Capitol. This session, Virginia legislators have introduced bills that would make biking safer for both cyclists and drivers across the Commonwealth.

Home-schooled students in Virginia will have to wait until next year to see if they can participate in sports and other extracurricular activities at their local high school. That’s because the Senate Education and Health Committee killed the so-called “Tebow Bill.”

He’s known as “Pav” – short for Pavarotti. He’s a presence at VCU men’s basketball games, home and away. He’s recognizable to fans, players, coaches, media and event staff – well, at least when he has his horns on. Chris Crowley has fulfilled the role as leader of Ram Nation four years after his graduation from the university he loves.

Virginia has overhauled its laws on falconry, once called the sport of kings. Under a bill signed by Gov. Bob McDonnell, Virginians who hunt with falcons and hawks will gain legal protections for their birds that previously applied only to hunting dogs.

Despite the rain and cold, Virginia Commonwealth University students rallied today to send their men’s basketball team off to Houston for the Final Four game on Saturday. Read Alyx Duckett’s story and listen to Matt Birch’s audio coverage.

Legislators and lobbyists battled it out Tuesday night during the final week of the General Assembly’s 2011 session. Except this time, differences were settled on the basketball court, not in the Capitol.

With spring sports under way and summer on its way, the Virginia Department of Health wants to make sure student-athletes know there is no such thing as a “mild” concussion. Even a “ding” – “getting your bell rung” – or what may seem to be a slight bump or blow to the head can be serious.